The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Finland:
Background Information for
Finland
By Pete Craig
Chances are, your idea of a prototypical Finn has ice cubes for eyes and all the personal charm of granite. True, there's no fawning affection among Finns, and their characteristic disdain for wasting words may leave you feeling chilly, but they are of an eminently honest, hard-working stock that engenders admiration, especially in light of their tumultuous past. Today, the Finnish people are a high-tech, worldly bunch, but years of hardship have left permanent scars. Through six centuries of Swedish rule, another 100 years under Russia's czars, a bloody civil war, and, of course, the perpetual subarctic winter twilight, Suomi (Finnish for "Finland") emerged self-sufficient and prosperous. Whether this melancholy independence was the result of the country's battles against brutal winters or its turbulent political past, the Finns have made the philosophy of sisu--grim perseverance and inexhaustible stamina--a national credo.
After fully paying off all its war debts (the only European country to do so), Finland has settled into an era of peace, and the new generation has decidedly mellowed--enough to finally kick back and enjoy the view. With Europe's last great tracts of wilderness, tremendous stands of spruce and birch, over 187,000 glassy lakes, all washed over alternately by summer's midnight sun and winter's northern lights, Finland is a haven for nature junkies.
Although Finland is proudly individualistic--it's one of the few countries that shared a border with the Soviet Union in 1939 and retained its independence--history freaks can still appreciate traces of the Swedish and Russian cultures here, including a small Swedish-speaking population and a number of Russian Orthodox churches. The country also offers countless museums, nightlife, and festivals--from the famous Ruisrock in Turku to the lesser-known Tango Fest in Seinäjoki--but it's really the landscape that will draw you in. If you're greedy for a piece of Finland's soul, you won't need much more than a sturdy pair of hiking boots, a sleeping bag, and your passion for the great outdoors.
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